Friday, March 8, 2019

Air Force Says In 'High State of Preparedness' To Deal With Pak

Air Force Says In 'High State of Preparedness' To Deal With Pak

All front line Indian Air Force bases along western border are on maximum alert, say officials

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Thursday said it was in a "high state of preparedness" to pro-actively engage any perceived threat from Pakistan, in clear indication that underlying tension between the two countries remained.

Citing a document of Pakistan's civil aviation authority, the IAF said the neighbouring country has opened its airspace with Oman, Iran, Afghanistan and China only and the 11 entry and exit points located along Indo-Pak airspace were still closed.

"The Indian Air Force is in a high state of preparedness, to pro-actively engage any perceived threat in the present security scenario," the IAF said in a statement.

It said a strict vigil in the skies to detect and thwart any act of aggression from Pakistan Air Force is being maintained.

Officials said all the frontline IAF bases along India's western border have been kept on maximum alert.

Tensions between the two countries escalated when on February 26, the Indian Air Force had struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed's Balakot training camp.

The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers.